The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-05-12
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
The Old Homestead Visited by a Cyclone
and Nearly Destroyed.

The Old Homestead Visited by a Cyclone
and Nearly Destroyed.
Misery loves company and there are so
many miserable people that I reckon l
had better give them some comfort by
| telling of my own misfortunes. We are
still in the land of the living and are
| reasonably thankful, but last Friday
| night storm came over these parts, and
the thunder rolled and the lightning
flashed, and just such display Of cleo.
tricity I do not remember ever to have
seen. love to look at these grand and
| awful exhibitions of natures wondrous
| power, and so sometimes sit out in the
piazza and gather the children around
| me lust to show them that l can be calm
and serene under such manifestations.
Well, there is huge old time-honored
Spanish oak just at the front corner of
the house. It's limbs reach out far and
wide, for it has been topped long years
ago, and the children's swing was there,
and its abundant shade gave ample
shelter from the evening sun. Two long
limbs stretched out over the roof of our
humble cottage snd almost touched the
chimney top, and two more embowered
the long piazza. I have been studying
that tree for years, for it was very near
the house, but its roots we're in the
banks of one of the terraces and did not
see how it could bring danger. But man
proposes and God disposes. The storm
that soon followed this electric display
struck our premises down at the meadow
and the majestic oaks surrendered and
fell headlong-torn up blythe roots-all
falling towards the house, and the grand
old oak surrendered too, and fell with 8
tremendous crash upon the house, tear.
ing holes in the roof and dislodging the
long veranda from its fastening and
sweeping away the wooden blinds. In
the same breath it took the roof from the
smokehouse in the back yard and carried
it away, and turned the buggy house
over and fat:ened it out, and laid v Naste
the orchard, and tore up che grove Of
ancient trees in the spring lot, and played
havoc in its course all around our devot.
ed premises. Imagine the feelings Of a
family of helpless women and children
under such perils. Imagine the shrieks
of alarm and despair when these giant
oaks came crashing down upon the roof
above you, and piercing holes in the
shingles and sheeting, and the pitiless
storm comes driving in. Imagine the
children clinging to their parents and the
parents cliuging to the children and hov.
ering them and breathing prayers to
heaven for mercy and protection.
Well, it would have been just such q
scene in our country home if we had
been there, but you see we moved to
town just two months ago and escaped
the wreck. There was no living thing in
or about that house bu: two poor deserted
brindle cats, and they are there yet. We
are all grateful now and reconciled to our
change of base. I don't know how long we
will be reconciled, for it is the cyclone
season and one may come along here
through Cartersville and play havoc.
The bad is mixed up with the good
everywhere, and we have to live in faith
and hope wherever We may be. We 60
out home now like pilgrims go to Mecca.
We spend the day and peruse the fields
aud the meadows aud the springs and
branches and the creek and the orchard
and the fish pond, and make huge
boquets of honeysuckle and crab apple
blossoms and wild lilies and sweet
shrubs and sweetwilliams and devils
shoe string. The good old home looks
pretty now, and our younger children
love it as they will never love home
again. Ten years of their brightest, ear
liest life we're spent there, and they were
happier than they will ever be again, for
they knew no care and had latitute and
longitude and frolicked with with nature,
and to them the morning sun
"Neyer rose wink too soon,
Nor brought too long day.'
The children raised in the country do
have the best time, there is no doubt
about it, and the attachments they form
to the scenes and sports of their early
youth last longer and become dearer with
age. In town or city the great concern
is about the next show that is to come
along or the next party or some more
new clothes or another sensation novel
like "He" or "She" or "It." I worked
half the day yesterday making a cross.
bow for Carl, for he says he can't shoot
gun in town, but there is no town law
against crossbow. He and Jessie want
to 20 bsrefooted and the family are hold.
ing convention upon the subject now.
1 think that Carl will pull through all
right, but Jessie's feet are doomed.
What a glorious picture Mr.. Lamar
gave US of the old Southern planters
home. "The sweet and noble associa,
tions; the pure refining and elevating
atmosphere; the abode Of domestic joys
and duties; the hospitality heartfelt.
simple and generous" wonder if be
was not limiting at Professor Tillett's
article in the Century when he said:
"The Southern planter was far from
being the self indulgent, iudolenE over
bearing person that he has sometimes
been pictured. He was in general, care
full, patient, provident, industrious, for
bearing, and yet firm and determined
These were the qualities that enabled
him to take race of savages and make
them the finest body of agricultural and
domestic laborers the world has ever
seen, and to elevate them in the scale oI